“Roman J. Israel, Esq.” has an odd name and an odd script to match. Most of this film's issues stem from its script and editing, getting caught somewhere between the tone of a courtroom thriller and a mundane character study. This lack of commitment to a genre creates an identity crisis. The story itself is very interesting but the execution is slow-paced and forgettable. After the Golden Globe and Oscar nominations came out, I expected the film’s saving grace to be Denzel Washington. In fact, one movie reviewer went as far as referring to the titular character as “a 21st century ‘Rain Man,'” but I actually found it to be the least impressive of Denzel’s eight Oscar-nominated roles. The real question is how he received a nomination over James Franco in "The Disaster Artist." I don't condone the things that Franco has been accused of, but aren't the Oscars supposed to award an outstanding performance and not a person's character? Denzel's performance lacks a moment that makes you say “wow” and his character transformation from an idealist to a cynic doesn’t shine through. It seems like the rest of the cast struggles to make something of the script as well. I can't recommend “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” until it is rebooted with a new script.
[Pictured: After his performance in “Fences” last year, anything was going to
be a letdown. Especially with this
script]
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